THOMAS: Get thoughts in writing to keep your group’s story straight

Not long ago, I asked a board on which I serve to do a little exercise. Each person on the board was to send me an e-mail answering the following questions about one of our key programs:

• What do we want to achieve—what are our objectives for this program and its subparts?

• Are we accomplishing our objectives?

• How do we measure success?

The initial reaction to my request was impatience. Some of the board members seemed to think it was a needless exercise. After all, the program had been going on for some time and “everybody knows” the answers to these questions. And, besides, couldn’t we just have a conversation and get this taken care of?

“Humor me,” I said.

As you might guess, when I got the e-mailed responses, they didn’t support the contention that “everybody knows” the program’s objectives. In fact, the answers varied widely. After that exercise, we were able to begin a process that resulted in greater focus and a new level of success.

Unfortunately, this “everybody knows” mentality is common among businesses and not-for-profits, and it develops for a number of reasons. For example, a new hire or board member might carry forward the mindsets and opinions of the person who recruited him or her; in other cases, someone might come onboard with such a strong point-of-view passion that he or she sees it as a sort of moral matter … that “must” be shared by everyone.

So, it pays to ask the question. But why ask for an e-mail rather than a conversation? For a few reasons:

• Everyone must contribute. In a meeting, it’s easy for people to drop out of the conversation.

• People can’t simply nod and move on. Strong personalities can steer public conversations. In private, people have to deliver their own thoughts. Remember: If you’re seeking to gather information, go one-on-one; if you’re looking to deliver information broadly or generate ideas, the group dynamic often works best.

• People think more when they write. Forced to put something into writing, we tend to consider it more deeply and, therefore, offer something that reflects a core idea rather than the first thing that comes into our minds.

• You know who said what. Individual statements can get lost in meeting minutes. If someone says something that needs to be addressed directly, it’s much easier to have that conversation if you have a direct attribution.

• You know who can deliver information succinctly, and who needs to be coached. You need your people to be able to describe your organization and its mission in clear, simple terms. If you get their thoughts in writing, you’ll know right away if certain individuals struggle to deliver your key messages succinctly or if they simply have the messages wrong. From this exercise, you might discover that you need to have a “Key Messages 101” session, and a workshop on stating those messages.

Generally speaking, I’m a fan of group discussions. The collective wisdom and big ideas that can flow from a good brainstorm session cannot be matched by one person sitting alone. But there are times when any group, organization or business needs a reality check, and when that’s the case, it’s often best to get it in writing.

If you asked your team for this kind of e-mail, would you get what “everybody knows”? Or would you get the clear message that “everybody” knows something different—and your organization is suffering as a result.•

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Thomas is co-owner of JTPR Inc., an Indianapolis public relations firm.